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Learning Kitchen: Meal Prep/Planning – Tofu Fried Rice

Yesterday’s lunch of vegan chili was spicy, so I wanted a dinner that was a little milder on the palate. Tofu to the rescue!

I’m trying really hard to be more mindful of what goes into our food, right down to the frozen ingredients. So while I opted for white rice as a means of saving some time (brown rice requires either soaking or a longer cook time, neither of which I could handle last night), I have decided to use only frozen veggies that are from sources I trust. This time, it was Trader Joe’s Hodgepodge and Organic Frozen Peas.

This one-pound bag of frozen goodness will last us about a week.To save even more time, I put the peas in with the rice to cook.

I also used Trader Joe’s Firm Tofu, which I marinated in reduced-sodium Kikkoman Soy Sauce (tastes better than TJ’s, imo), sesame oil, and garlic powder after cubing. Once the rice/pea mixture was done, I dumped it in a medium-high pan with grapeseed oil, then added the tofu and veggies on the other side.

The yin and yang: starches vs veggie and protein power.

Once everything was fully cooked and the rice on the bottom had gotten a little crunchy, I tossed it all together then plated it. Bowled it? Whatever, you know what I mean.

One serving = one cup total. Garnished with sesame seeds for added aroma.

Because Magneto has a mild obsession with eggs, I decided to use the time waiting for the veggies and tofu to cook through to make him a very gently cooked fried egg in a nonstick pan that had just a drop of grapeseed oil in it, heated to medium, then dropped to low as soon as the egg hit the surface (top photo).

For my bowl of rice, we’re looking at about 200 calories if you include the few drops of Bee Sting Quasi-Thai Hot Sauce I added for a little extra oomph. This vegan option is super filling, utterly delicious, and totally worth the 30 minutes I spent in the kitchen.

Since Magneto had an egg on his, it was around 275 calories. Not bad for a couple of people who are used to eating like drunk college kids!